Read Online Freeing Destiny (Fate #2) by Faith Andrews - Free Book Online
Authors: Faith Andrews
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world. Sometimes, the way things fell into place proved how spectacular and wondrous life could be. But cases like this—meeting the person who could be my soul mate only to have her ripped from me because of poor timing—made me wonder if the Man upstairs was merely moving me around like a pawn on a chess board.
Stella
The next day should’ve been easy since it was well-rehearsed.
I was supposed to tie up a few more loose ends over the phone with NYU and pack some things to ship to Ryan’s parents in New York. But as I went through the mundane motions, I couldn’t get my mind off Jack.
After our deep conversation on the beach, the two of us ran along the shore in silence. For me, running was a way to relieve all the pent up frustration that came with longing for Jack. A sprint always cleared my mind and prepared me for what came next. For Jack, I couldn’t help but think he was following my lead just to stay in the game. The harder I ran, my feet thudding against the wet sand, the tougher he fought to keep up. He was chasing me—in every sense of the word—and no doubt trying to prove that he wouldn’t lose gracefully.
Why was he making it so difficult? Why couldn’t we just be friends and then say our good-byes, happy to have been given the chance to meet at all? I liked to believe in happenstance—if we were truly meant to be, our paths would cross again at some point in time. I was moving to New York, not Antarctica. People ran into each other all the time. It wasn’t as if it was an impossibility. Jack was friends with my stepfather; I still had other friends out here, so I’d probably be back again some day. I was not about to throw away everything I’d worked for over a guy I just met.
That was my story and I was sticking to it. Except my damn heart had her red pencil sharpened and ready to make some life altering revisions.
Staring at my cell phone, I felt as if it were calling out to me— use me, Stella! Put your pretty little fingers on my screen and dial that boy’s number. You know you want to . . .
God, did I! But that would only screw up this screwed up situation even more. If Jack hadn’t moved in for a kiss when he dropped me off from the beach yesterday, he was probably convinced it was time to leave well enough alone. Maybe he was finally giving up—or giving in to my wishes. I’d told him time and time again that we couldn’t be anything. Maybe it finally sank in—for good.
Turning my back on the imaginary voices coming from the electronic device, I busied myself with emptying out my desk drawer. When I came upon an old letter from my dad, I immediately picked it up and pressed it close to my chest.
I knew what it said because I’d read it over and over again throughout the years. I loved having this little part of him to cherish forever. The tiny paper held so much weight even though he couldn’t have realized it back when he was writing it.
Dad had gone on a business trip and was leaving me, Mom, and Nina for the first time. I remember crying and throwing an ‘it’s not fair’ tantrum because at eight years old, the thought of Daddy not being able to tuck me in at night felt like the end of the world. Silly now that I thought about it, since I’d have to learn to live without him ever tucking me in again only a few short years after he wrote the letter.
Unfolding the page, creases crackling, I stared at his words and let them breathe new meaning into me this time.
*
Dear Stella Bella,
Be a good girl for Mommy, just like you always are. I’ll only be gone for three measly nights and then I’ll be back to hug you ’til the sun don’t shine.
This probably won’t make any sense to you now because you’re so young, but remember that there are times in life when we have to do what’s best for the big picture. This means that even though we don’t want to do something (like I don’t want to go away and leave you, Mommy and Nee Nee for this trip) sometimes we
Stella
The next day should’ve been easy since it was well-rehearsed.
I was supposed to tie up a few more loose ends over the phone with NYU and pack some things to ship to Ryan’s parents in New York. But as I went through the mundane motions, I couldn’t get my mind off Jack.
After our deep conversation on the beach, the two of us ran along the shore in silence. For me, running was a way to relieve all the pent up frustration that came with longing for Jack. A sprint always cleared my mind and prepared me for what came next. For Jack, I couldn’t help but think he was following my lead just to stay in the game. The harder I ran, my feet thudding against the wet sand, the tougher he fought to keep up. He was chasing me—in every sense of the word—and no doubt trying to prove that he wouldn’t lose gracefully.
Why was he making it so difficult? Why couldn’t we just be friends and then say our good-byes, happy to have been given the chance to meet at all? I liked to believe in happenstance—if we were truly meant to be, our paths would cross again at some point in time. I was moving to New York, not Antarctica. People ran into each other all the time. It wasn’t as if it was an impossibility. Jack was friends with my stepfather; I still had other friends out here, so I’d probably be back again some day. I was not about to throw away everything I’d worked for over a guy I just met.
That was my story and I was sticking to it. Except my damn heart had her red pencil sharpened and ready to make some life altering revisions.
Staring at my cell phone, I felt as if it were calling out to me— use me, Stella! Put your pretty little fingers on my screen and dial that boy’s number. You know you want to . . .
God, did I! But that would only screw up this screwed up situation even more. If Jack hadn’t moved in for a kiss when he dropped me off from the beach yesterday, he was probably convinced it was time to leave well enough alone. Maybe he was finally giving up—or giving in to my wishes. I’d told him time and time again that we couldn’t be anything. Maybe it finally sank in—for good.
Turning my back on the imaginary voices coming from the electronic device, I busied myself with emptying out my desk drawer. When I came upon an old letter from my dad, I immediately picked it up and pressed it close to my chest.
I knew what it said because I’d read it over and over again throughout the years. I loved having this little part of him to cherish forever. The tiny paper held so much weight even though he couldn’t have realized it back when he was writing it.
Dad had gone on a business trip and was leaving me, Mom, and Nina for the first time. I remember crying and throwing an ‘it’s not fair’ tantrum because at eight years old, the thought of Daddy not being able to tuck me in at night felt like the end of the world. Silly now that I thought about it, since I’d have to learn to live without him ever tucking me in again only a few short years after he wrote the letter.
Unfolding the page, creases crackling, I stared at his words and let them breathe new meaning into me this time.
*
Dear Stella Bella,
Be a good girl for Mommy, just like you always are. I’ll only be gone for three measly nights and then I’ll be back to hug you ’til the sun don’t shine.
This probably won’t make any sense to you now because you’re so young, but remember that there are times in life when we have to do what’s best for the big picture. This means that even though we don’t want to do something (like I don’t want to go away and leave you, Mommy and Nee Nee for this trip) sometimes we
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